Perkiomen Valley’s Washington sets meet shot put record, Methacton boys win team title at PAC championships

WEST NORRITON >> There are other ways as an instance the passage of time for the reason that final Pioneer Athletic Convention Monitor and Discipline Championships again in 2019.

When the occasion final left off, Perkiomen Valley freshman Ronde Washington didn’t have a spot within the discipline.

“Once I began out as a freshman, I used to be throwing 25 ft,” Washington recalled.

Quick ahead to 2022 and Washington, now a senior, isn’t simply much better. He’s a brand new meet-record holder.

Washington’s profitable throw within the shot put of 60-6 was a meet document to spotlight Saturday’s boys motion on the PAC Championships at Norristown.

His mark erased the 59-5 beforehand held by Methacton graduate Wesley Lavong.

The Viking senior prevailed over Boyertown’s Jayden Miller in a two-horse race the place they have been the one opponents to throw in extra of fifty ft. Washington’s document throw got here after 4 makes an attempt ranging between 56 and 58 ft, a 58-2 recorded on his second attempt.

“Once I moved by means of the circle, I felt extra highly effective and quicker,” Washington mentioned. “I began to scream after I let it go.”

Miller was second at 56-1. Third went to Owen J. Roberts’ Christian Gregory, again at 42-11 1/4.

Qualifying for Nationals later this yr, he sees longer throws in his future.

“I’m up 4 ft from the winter season,” Washington mentioned. “I may enhance. I may hit 63 or 64 ft.”

Methacton’s crew title — one matched by its feminine counterparts — owed a lot to the double-win performances of Vaughn Lackman and Zachary Willen. They every gained two races, Lackman heading the 800 and 1,600 whereas Willen took the 400 and 200.

Lackman began off with a 4:18.45 run within the 1,600, heading Owen J’s Thomas Damiani and Methacton teammate Bryan Landsberg. He had a two-second benefit on Damiani on the end line.

“It was good to be first the entire time,” he mentioned. “I knew Damiani was going to be behind me. I anticipated it to be us two, and it gave the impression to be.”

Perkiomen Valley’s Ronde Washington competes within the boys’ shot put on the PAC Monitor and Discipline Championships Saturday at Norristown. Washington gained the occasion with a meet-record 60-6 throw. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group).

He later clocked a personal-record 1:57.57 within the 800 to edge out OJR’s duo of Nathan Hayes and Thomas Damiani, a respective 2 and three inside a two-second span. He had been operating third till the 300-meter mark, when he placed on a “huge transfer.”

“Hayes was on my shoulder till there was 125 left,” he recalled. “I dug deep and beat him throughout the road.”

Willen posted a 50.01 within the 400, beating out Higher Perk’s Vincent Durrant (50.65) and Norristown’s Daunte Bell (50.84).

“My greatest splits have been 48.04,” he mentioned. “Within the again stretch, I may see Daunte operating third. I used to be on the skin, and I used to be operating nicely on a regular basis.”

Within the 200, the junior’s run of twenty-two.13 bested OJR’s Ned Burgess (22.74) and Bell (22.78).

“The primary 100 felt good,” he recalled. “With a high quality begin, I knew I had a shot.”

Mixed with a win by its 4×800 relay (8:21.04) and different High Three finishes, it obtained Methacton the boys’ PAC championship plaque with sufficient of a degree margin to make the 4×400 relay a minimal issue within the meet’s closing end result.

“I’m grateful there was no stress hinging on the race,” first-year head coach Christopher Torpey mentioned. “Spring-Ford is a good crew, well-coached and aggressive.

“These guys are rock stars,” he added in reference to Lackman and Willen. “However we had factors all-around.”

The Warriors’ success prevailed towards quite a few damage points that required repositioning opponents.

“We’ve instructed them if one falls down, others need to rally spherical,” Torpey mentioned. “We needed to win the PAC as a crew and be aggressive for districts.”

Spring-Ford’s Alex Teufel clears the bar within the boys’ pole vault on the PAC Monitor and Discipline Championships Saturday at Norristown. Teufel gained the occasion. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group).

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POLE POSITION >> The enjoyment in Alex Teufel’s voice, and his physique gestures, could possibly be detected a mile away.

Having secured the gold medal within the boys’ pole vault after a complete seven runs Saturday, Teufel was capturing to — no pun meant — increase the bar on his closing end. He did that in advantageous fashion, first reaching the district qualifying mark of 13 ft, then clearing the bar at 14 ft.

The shout of pleasure, the arm flexes … it’s all a part of the persona of an athlete praised by his coaches as having “a motor that by no means stops.” It’s additionally serving to Teufel come again from a pair medical points this yr, inclduing a damaged collarbone enjoying volleyball within the winter, and attain his earlier degree of efficiency.

Higher Perkiomen’s Daniel Carpenter was second at 11-6, and Perkiomen Valley’s Kevin Bonner an in depth third at 11-3.

There was additionally the chance for Teufel to work on the “six-lift” (12-step) run to the crossbar. It was a consider him reaching 13-6 on his eighth run, then 14-0 the subsequent time earlier than lacking at a personal-record 14-8.

“If I’m going to fifteen, it’s going to be on that (six-lift),” he mentioned. “I used to be thrilled. I wasn’t capable of have that.”

Teufel’s day was not over at that time, nonetheless. He joined the Ram boys’ 4×400 relay for the primary leg of a race that noticed them place fourth, little greater than a second behind eventual crew champion Methacton to their runner-up effort. He additionally had the college’s promenade to attend that night time.

Add to that an injury-prevention routine marked by him operating cool-down laps whereas the crew champions have been introduced and the meet was winding to its finish.

“I get tight and sore if I don’t try this,” he mentioned.

Norristown’s Jaden Brown, heart, races to victory within the boys’ 100 meters on the PAC Monitor and Discipline Championships Saturday at Norristown. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group).

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Pottstown’s Tyrese Washington, heart, and Adam Inexperienced, left, and Pottsgrove’s Trevon Foster, proper, compete within the 110-meter hurdles on the PAC Monitor and Discipline Championships Saturday at Norristown. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group).

KEEPING IT 100 >> Different notable showings have been turned in by Pottstown’s Tyrese Washington within the 110 hurdles and Norristown’s Jaden Brown within the 100.

Washington, a sophomore, took the hurdles in 14.83 — a state High 10 time — forward of Pottsgrove’s Trevon Foster (15.02) and Trojan teammate Adam Inexperienced (15.56). Brown, the state’s defending 100 champ, went 10.59 to beat out Willen (11.04) and Owen J. Roberts’ Burgess (11.15).

“I really feel good,” Washington, a sophomore, mentioned. “I’ve been making an attempt to work on my begin for the entire season. I felt actually good at the beginning. I really feel like I’m good in between the hurdles so I simply need to give attention to my begin.

“I’ve needed to go towards Trevon (Foster) for a very long time. It was good. He actually pushed me, it was actually good competitors.”

Washington is now setting his sights on marks held by former teammate Darius Smallwood and present head coach Justin Gibbs — he gained a bronze medal within the 110s on the 2003 state meet.

“I actually wasn’t targeted on the 110s coming into the season,” he mentioned. “I used to be extra targeted on 300 hurdles. I needed to get a 38 (second time) as a result of Darius (Smallwood) obtained a 38 (38.33) and I wish to beat that point.

“However I’ve began to additionally give attention to 110s, I like them. I wish to beat my coach’s time, a 14.12.”

Pottsgrove’s 4×100 relay edged out Spring-Ford, operating a 43.33 to the Rams’ 43.37. They’d district qualifiers alongside Higher Merion (43.89) and Owen J. Roberts (44.01).

NOTES >> Owen J. Roberts gained the marquee 4×400 relay, operating a district-qualifying time of three:25.67 to beat out runner-up Perk Valley (3:30.84). … An attention-grabbing matchup within the 4×4’s first leg noticed individual-event champions Lackman and Teufel operating for Methacton and Spring-Ford, respectively. In prelude to the end, Lackman outran Teufel on the leg. … The highest three finishers obtained medals whereas the highest eight have been introduced.

Methacton’s Vaughn Lackman celebrates after profitable the 800 meters on the PAC Monitor and Discipline Championships Saturday at Norristown. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group).

Pottstown sophomore Tyrese Washington hugs head coach Justin Gibbs after profitable the 110-meter hurdles on the PAC Monitor and Discipline Championships Saturday at Norristown. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group).